Neurosurgery

Services

Surgery for Pain

Chronic pain can be debilitating and can take an emotional toll on you and your family. The neurosurgeons at Boston Medical Center may help you get relief. We are experts in the management and treatment of chronic pain. We offer interventional techniques, implantable devices and open surgery to treat a range of conditions, including chronic regional pain, failed back surgery, post-laminectomy, reflex sympathetic dystrophy and trigeminal neuralgia. Combining advanced training and experience, state-of-the-art equipment, a patient-centered environment, and a multidisciplinary approach, we deliver effective treatments that are right for you. It's exceptional care, without exception.

Treatment options for chronic pain include using injection treatments, implantable devices and open surgery. We work with the Pain Anesthesiology clinic to coordinate injections of anti-inflammatory medicines and nerve root blocks in the spine as a technique for both diagnosing and treating pain that originates in the neck and back. In addition, we perform spinal cord and deep brain stimulation for long-term pain that has been resistant to other treatment methods. We also offer microvascular decompression and rhizotomy for trigeminal neuralgia.

A common treatment that is helpful to many patients with certain kinds of pain in the neck and back is pain pump or stimulator implantation. This kind of treatment is appropriate for some patients who continue to suffer from pain after having undergone previous spine operations. We are able to implant specialized devices in your body that deliver medication (pumps) or electrical impulses (spinal stimulators) to the spinal cord via tiny incisions. The medication or electrical stimulation may be able to control your condition or reduce pain.

Pain management can be complex, and we work collaboratively with other members of your pain management team. We consider your pain management specialist to be a key part of your treatment team, and we will work closely with him or her to help you get the most benefit from your treatment. We also have relationships with a wide network of allied healthcare professionals who work as a team to address emotional aspects of dealing with chronic pain, as well as to assist with developing coping mechanisms such as physical therapy, biofeedback, and relaxation techniques.